TY  - JOUR
T1  - North Korean Hip Hop? Reflections on Musical Diplomacy and the DPRK
AU  - Cathcart, Adam 
JO  - Academia Koreana
PY  - 2009
DA  - 2009/1/1
DO  - 10.18399/acta.2009.12.2.001
KW  - Cultural diplomacy
KW  - New York Philharmonic
KW  - socialist culture
KW  - Western orchestral music in East Asia
KW  - Kim Jong Il and opera
KW  - Lohengrin
KW  - rap music
AB  - This article analyzes the effectiveness of classical music diplomacy toward the DPRK as seen in the New York Philharmonic visit of 2008. After contextualizing the role of the symphony orchestra with reference to North Korea and engaging with some questions of theory and orchestral program, the article goes on to suggest that popular music, specifically rap music, is likely to have a much more lasting impact in the DPRK. As such, the article enters into debates about North Korean cultural identity, U.S. foreign policy (particularly “soft power” directed at the DPRK), and musical practices on the Korean peninsula.